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Where to go in KroměřížUNESCO Tourist Route

St. Moric church

The church is located on the site of an original Gothic church from 13th century that was destroyed during the Hussite wars. The new church was founded by Bishop Bruno of Schauenburk (1245-1281) probably shortly after 1262 when a collegiate chapter house was established. At the end of 14th century a vicar sacristy was added. When Kroměříž was attacked by Hussites in 1432, the church was burned down and was in a state of decay until 1500 when Bishop Stanislav Thurzo redeemed Kroměříž from a pledge and got it back under bishop administration. According to the Baroque memorial inscription, the renovation started in 1516. But extensive renovation didn’t start until about 1582. This year is written on the portal in the vicar sacristy and at the sepulchre of the main altar. Also the southern tower, unfinished until then, was raised. In 1679 the cathedral was reconstructed and equipped with furniture. In 1730, under the administration of Cardinal Schrattenbach, sepulchre chapel of Virgin Marry of Sorrows was added to the northern side of the cathedral. The founder built this chapel as his last resting place. It isn’t clear who the draughtsman was. One possibility is Ignác Cyrani von Bolleshaus who is the draughtsman of the church of St. John the Baptist or maybe Vienna architects who often worked for Moravian dignitaries in 18th century. In 1836 the church burned down. The following reconstruction was planned by designer A. Arche as a purist re-Gothicism of the temple. A baptistery and southern vestibule were added. Before 1848 both towers got polygonal extensions. Between 1960 and 1967 the exterior of the church was renovated, in 1965 it was time for the interior of the vicar sacristy and finally, from 1979 to 1980 for the church interior.